The Perfect Present
by Uchiha-Griffin
Summary: It seems everyone has forgotten about Temari's birthday! Or have they...? SHIKATEMA!


The Perfect Present.

Shikatema FTW 3 Happy -EXTREMELY belated- Birthday, Temari-chan! And to Shika-chan too! Me no own Naruto.

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Ino looked up from her magazine upon hearing a knock on the door. She looked toward it questioningly for a moment before standing and walking over to it, peeking out suspiciously. Suddenly a smile covered her face and she threw the door open. "Shika-kun! What's up?!"

Shikamaru stood on her front porch, eyes half-mast as usual. "Hey, Ino. I just dropped by to ask you a question." Ino nodded. "Sure, what is it?" Shika looked slightly embarrassed. "Well, you see… today is Temari's birthday, soooo…"

Ino grinned. "You wanna get her something and have no idea what girls like, am I right?" Shika looked relieved on not having to explain his predicament. "Exactly." Ino smirked and made a heroic pose. "Well guess what, Shika! You came to the right person! You're looking at the girl who--"

"--who promised her best friends the entire day but seems to be changing those plans?!" a familiar voice came from behind them. Shika turned to see Sakura, Hinata, and Tenten walking toward them. "Hey girls!" Ino said. "Shika needed some advice about something, so I'm helping him out." She looked proud of herself.

Sakura sighed and smiled. "Maybe we can help too. What's on Shika's mind?" She patted his head friendlily as she walked past him and into Ino's apartment. Ino pulled Shikamaru inside as the other girls entered the apartment. She sat them all down in the living room with Shika as the focal point.

"Shika is in a horrible predicament." Ino began ominously, in a dark tone. The girls looked at him sympathetically. "Whatever could have happened?" Tenten wondered aloud. "I'm here to tell you just that. Today is Tema-chan's birthday… and he doesn't know what to do!"

The three newcomers gasped. "No!" Sakura said, looking horrified. Poor Shika just sat there, staring at the ground. "Is it really that terrible?" he mumbled. Ino laughed. "No, of course not! We're just playing around. This kind of thing is normal for guys." Tenten nodded. "At least you didn't forget her birthday, like some guys do." she rolled her eyes. Hinata tapped her fingers together and looked disapproving.

"N-Nii-sama forgot your birthday, Ten-chan?" She stuttered. Tenten blinked and then laughed. "Psh, no! Of course not! I was just making an example." Hinata looked relieved then scowled. "Good, I would have had to do something about that…" Sakura looked terrified. "It's Dark Hina! Run away!"

As the girls laughed at their supposed inside joke, Shika looked totally lost. "Good lord… women…" he mused, looking up at the ceiling. Ino noticed his distress and clapped her hands. "Hey, we forgot about Shika and his problem!" They all whipped around to stare at him. "You're right!"

Shikamaru sweatdropped. "Thankssomuch, Ino." he thought. Sakura scooted closer to him. "Shika. Name off some things Temari likes, from your perspective." Shika pondered for a moment, then said, "Wind. Her brothers. Paper folding fans… and me, I guess…" Sakura nodded and sat back to think. Hinata tapped her fingers together. "M-maybe Temari-chan would like dinner f-for just the two of y-you?" She suggested, looking down.

Ino smiled. "Great idea, Hina! We can definitely work this into our master plan…" She raised an eyebrow, smirking in Shika's direction. He looked baffled. Master Plan? Just what were these girls planning?! Ino gathered up all the ladies and they sat together in a huddle, whispering and peeking at Shika. "This is so. Damn, Troublesome." he mumbled, looking up at the ceiling again.

A few minutes later, he realized it was silent. He glanced back at the girls only to be scared to death. They were all inching toward him with arms outreached, carrying… rope, duct tape, and other assorted BONDAGE items?! "WHAT THE FU…?!" he began, but was tackled to the ground before he could finish by laughing girls.

"Ino, where's the rope?!" Sakura called out, and it was tossed to her. They tied him up and carried him to Ino's room, Where they tossed him on the bed. "Sakura, call Sasuke." Tenten reminded. Sakura smiled and took out her pink cell phone. She dialed and all was silent for a moment.

"Hi Sasuke-kun!" Sakura greeted cheerfully when he picked up. "I was wondering if we could borrow one of your suits for a little while? We're going to use it for Shika… Oh, it's Tema-chan's birthday so we're just helping Shika-kun out a little…Mm-hm, green is probably his best color…. yeah, can you bring it to Ino's?… Thanks and love you, Sasuke-kun!"

Sakura hung up and gave everyone a thumbs-up. They all cheered. Ino leaned over the petrified Shikamaru, smiling. "Don't worry, we're going to make you amazingly magically awesometastic and sexyfine for your lady!" she reassured. Shika just lay still on the bed, now looking annoyed. Might as well not try and fight back… to much trouble…

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door and Sakura went to answer it, leading Sasuke to the bedroom. Sasuke looked alarmed at the sight of the bondage-ized Shikamaru, but handed over the tux anyway, with a green vest, black jacket and pants, white undershirt, black dress shoes and a black tie. "I figured we're pretty much the same size, so I didn't bother bringing any extras ." he explained.

Sakura kissed him as a thank-you and he took his leave, giving one more sideways "Sorry, man." glance to Shika. He knew for the next hour, he would suffer under the (extremely fashionable!) wrath of the four Konoha Kunoichi.

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Temari sighed and looked at the clock. She couldn't believe it… her own boyfriend, forgetting her birthday!! She should Wind Scythe him from here to the Rain Village!! She had run out of books and magazines to read, and she had already done her training for the day. Shika was always lazy… but so lazy he wouldn't bother to check a calendar??

Suddenly, her cell phone rang. She picked it up.

"Moshi Moshi."

"Hey Tema-chan!"

"Oh, hey Sakura! What's up!"

"We were just all calling to tell you we want you to come over to Ino's! We've got your birthday present here!"

Temari smiled. "I'll be there in five!" She was happy at least SOMEONE didn't forget. She heard giggling. "Oh, who else is there?" Temari asked. "It's me, Ino of course, and Tenten and Hinata! Hurry over, Temari-chan!" Sakura hung up without another word. Temari smiled again nonetheless. A small party couldn't hurt, right?

She got up and got dressed in a casual black dress and put her hair down, figuring it was just her and the girls. She strapped her fan on her back, just in case she ran into Shikamaru on the way.

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Sakura looked out the front curtain, dressed in a black short skirt and a gray vest shirt with a black ribbon tied at the neck, the assigned lookout. Hinata (in a flowy purple shirt and black jeans) and Tenten (In dark blue jeans, paired with a pink Locoste polo) were going back and forth from the kitchen, setting the food out on the round table that was in the middle of the cleared-out living room.

Candles were lighting the room romantically, and Ino was pacing in front of Shikamaru barking last-minute instructions in a dark purple and black striped cardigan over a white tank top, paired with a black skirt like Sakura's. Shika was, of course, in Sasuke's suit. "Damn, this thing is itchy… he muttered. "Shut it, genius! Now remember everything I said!"

Sakura wove her hand around. "Hey hey hey!!" The girls all ran to the window. "She's here!" Sakura pointed. Temari was walking toward the apartment. "Places, places, places!!!" Ino hollered, and everyone scrambled around, shutting off all the lights that couldn't dim and dimming the ones that could, last second food presentation, and fixing up Shikamaru just-so.

A knock came from the door and everyone ran to hide. Shikamaru gulped as Sakura went to the door. She opened the door and said, "Hey, Temari! Come on in! Your present's in the living room!" Temari smiled , setting her fan by the door. "Thanks so much, I'm happy someone remembered my birthday!" "Oh, no one forgot it, Temari-chan…" She stopped a foot or two behind Temari as she walked into the living room.

When Temari spotted Shikamaru, hair-down and in a tux, she gasped. "Shika! Y-you remembered!" Shika sighed, then smiled gently. "Troublesome woman. I would never forget your birthday. I just didn't really know what you'd like so… I had to get a little help." Ino, Sakura, Hinata, and Tenten appeared behind Temari. "Happy birthday, Tema-chan!" they called out.

Temari grinned. "Awww, thank you all so much!" The girls hugged and then stepped back. We're all gonna go out for a while. You two enjoy the food!" Ino said, winking. When all the girls left, Shika loosened his collar. "Geez, this thing is so tight." Temari giggled. "It looks very nice on you though, Shika-kun."

He smiled at her. "Hey, if you like it then it's totally worth it to me." Temari blushed and looked at the food. "They made all this just for us?" Shika nodded. "They've been working all day." Temari smiled and the two began to eat, talking and laughing about various subjects. When they were finished, Temari exhaled happily. "Yum. It was all fabulous."

Shika nodded, checked the clock, and stood up from the table. "Let's get outta here." he began blowing out all the candles. Temari helped and soon they were walking out the door hand-in-hand. Konoha was dark, the full moon lighting the way for the two shinobi. Temari held onto Shika's arm tentatively, glancing up at him. He looked down at her with a smile. "What is it?"

"Oh, I was just thinking… my brothers or sensei didn't call me today… or send a letter." she replied sadly. Shikamaru pulled his arm out of her grasp and put it around her instead. "Don't worry about it…" he said, grinning like he knew something she didn't. Temari twitched. "What's that look for, Shika?" She asked.

"Oh, nothing." he replied, and just as they turned into Konoha Park, a whole bunch of people appeared out of nowhere, all smiling. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TEMARI!" The all called out. Temari looked shocked and then smiled. "You guys did this too?!" Shikamaru looked at her happily. "I hope you enjoy it."

Gaara and Kankuro were there, along with Baki and a few others from Suna. The Konoha twelve were there, with their senseis, along with tons of others from Konoha. Tsunade, Shizune, and Tonton ran a poker table, and Ichiraku catered. Everyone danced and partied until the early hours of the morning, when Shika had to carry Temari home. She had too much fun, it seemed.

He smiled down at her as her as she slept, smiling peacefully in her dreams. It was no wonder he'd fallen in love. He was actually sure he even wanted to MARRY her someday. He was surprised he could fall in love with someone like him. It all seemed so surreal.

"How Troublesome…" he thought, finally arriving home. With one more look down at Temari, Shikamaru grinned unreservedly and opened his front door, closing it gently behind him as the first rays of the morning sun bathed Konoha in light orange.

* * *

Ok, so… Crap ending. But I tried my best! It's the first time I've written Shikatema, so I need to get a feel for them before I can really write them well. Like, I'm a 'Sasusaku genius' (as some have called me :P) because a) they're my favorite couple in the whole world, and b) I've written over 30 fanfics about them!

So if you like this at all, maybe I'll write another Shikatema. And check out my Sasusaku fics too! : )

Wishing you an Empire State of Mind,

Griffin


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